Bea 2004 Arboreus (Umbria) A tarnished brass sculpture of an orange/apple still life. A ringing broadsword slash of mineral-enhanced tannin. A pale orange sweep of a distant lighthouse, shrouded in mysterious fogs. A biting acid-wash swirled with naturally-derived organic dyes, still aromatic and of variable textures. In other words, this is my fourth or fifth taste of this wine, and Im no closer to pinning it down than I was before. Endlessly fascinating, it is. (7/09)
Montevertine 2005 Pian del Ciampolo (Tuscany) Wow, is this pretty. I thought Id lost my enthusiasm for sangiovese, but wines like this could re-energize it. Dusty strawberries, flecked with earth and structured by their seeds, with tiny-leafed herbality and a long, faintly buzzing finish full of rocks and light foam. Really, really approachable, but theres enough structure to eliminate near-term worries. So, hold it for a while? I answer: why? (7/09)
Grosjean 2004 Cornalin Vigne Rovettaz (Valle deAoste) Aromatically difficult, and it seems like it should be more generous, so I may just have caught this at a bad time. Theres a tension between a sweet-fruited, earthy-floral core and a rougher, shouldery structure that reminds me a bit of the similar tension in Piedmontese dolcetto, but theres decidedly more minerality here, and the structure isnt quite as strident. Seems very promising, but now isnt its time. (7/09)
Bera 2006 Cannelli Arcese (Piedmont) Open for four days by the time I get to it, but still hanging onto sweet-smelling, perfumed garden fruit and a deliberate lightness. Pretty, even in its diminished state. (7/09)
Verdi 2007 Oltrep Pavese Vigna Costa Riesling Renano (Lombardy) Less riesling character than in any previous bottle, and while I love the grape Im not sure the diminishment is to the wines detriment. Sea salt and melon, limestone, slightly decayed flowers, and a textural wetnessit gets more intriguing with each sip. Yet Im also not entirely convinced by the wine, which seems to churn and curl away from clear statements and wholeness. Needs time, maybe. (7/09)
Terlan 2004 Sauvignon Blanc Winkl (Alto Adige) What one wants from these Alto Adige wines, especially the site-designated ones, is minerality coequal or superior to varietal character. That said, some varieties just cant be conquered, and sauvignon blanc is one. Still, Id call this a success, with quartz and icy steel backing up a shattered-glass impression of chilly greenish-white fruit. A little white peppers there, too, on a finish that doesnt quite live up to the rest of the wine. (7/09)
Monastero Suore Cistercensi S.O. Trappiste 2006 Coenobium (Lazio) There sure is a lot of bottle variation with this wine. I expect a little more consistency from nunsthough I suppose the highly naturalistic Bea influence must deserve the credit and.or blame. This is one of the not-great bottlings, expressed as usual not by some flaw, but by an insistent argument for indifference. Some of the skin-contact signs are there in the structure, but the miasmatic minerality is more mushy than complex, and the wine just sort of sits there, lifeless. (7/09)
Montevertine 2005 Pian del Ciampolo (Tuscany) Wow, is this pretty. I thought Id lost my enthusiasm for sangiovese, but wines like this could re-energize it. Dusty strawberries, flecked with earth and structured by their seeds, with tiny-leafed herbality and a long, faintly buzzing finish full of rocks and light foam. Really, really approachable, but theres enough structure to eliminate near-term worries. So, hold it for a while? I answer: why? (7/09)
Grosjean 2004 Cornalin Vigne Rovettaz (Valle deAoste) Aromatically difficult, and it seems like it should be more generous, so I may just have caught this at a bad time. Theres a tension between a sweet-fruited, earthy-floral core and a rougher, shouldery structure that reminds me a bit of the similar tension in Piedmontese dolcetto, but theres decidedly more minerality here, and the structure isnt quite as strident. Seems very promising, but now isnt its time. (7/09)
Bera 2006 Cannelli Arcese (Piedmont) Open for four days by the time I get to it, but still hanging onto sweet-smelling, perfumed garden fruit and a deliberate lightness. Pretty, even in its diminished state. (7/09)
Verdi 2007 Oltrep Pavese Vigna Costa Riesling Renano (Lombardy) Less riesling character than in any previous bottle, and while I love the grape Im not sure the diminishment is to the wines detriment. Sea salt and melon, limestone, slightly decayed flowers, and a textural wetnessit gets more intriguing with each sip. Yet Im also not entirely convinced by the wine, which seems to churn and curl away from clear statements and wholeness. Needs time, maybe. (7/09)
Terlan 2004 Sauvignon Blanc Winkl (Alto Adige) What one wants from these Alto Adige wines, especially the site-designated ones, is minerality coequal or superior to varietal character. That said, some varieties just cant be conquered, and sauvignon blanc is one. Still, Id call this a success, with quartz and icy steel backing up a shattered-glass impression of chilly greenish-white fruit. A little white peppers there, too, on a finish that doesnt quite live up to the rest of the wine. (7/09)
Monastero Suore Cistercensi S.O. Trappiste 2006 Coenobium (Lazio) There sure is a lot of bottle variation with this wine. I expect a little more consistency from nunsthough I suppose the highly naturalistic Bea influence must deserve the credit and.or blame. This is one of the not-great bottlings, expressed as usual not by some flaw, but by an insistent argument for indifference. Some of the skin-contact signs are there in the structure, but the miasmatic minerality is more mushy than complex, and the wine just sort of sits there, lifeless. (7/09)
